Refraction

September 1, 2019
Marty will do anything to get to his brother, even sell deadly, black-market mirrors. A year ago an alien ship appeared above Earth, and when humans destroyed it, the ShatterRing stretched around the planet and mirrors everywhere released a fog that hid deadly Beings. Now only Cisco Island (off the coast of Florida), London, and Singapore remain. Ty, Marty's older brother, is in London, and the only way Marty, who suffers from OCD, can think to raise the money to get to him is to sell reflective items like glasses and telescopes, which have been outlawed by repressive Mayor Ackermann. When that gets Marty caught and exiled with Ackermann's hunky son, Elliott, the two have to set aside their mutual distrust to survive on the fog-shrouded mainland; what they discover there changes their perception of reality and sets them on a new course that may save Earth--or get them killed. Hughes' (Afterimage, 2018) genre mashup starts with relentless action and then eases up a bit to allow for good character development and some hefty, fun plot twists. Marty's OCD is integral and well explained and explored. Characters hew to the white default. Reads like an Arthur C. Clarke-Stephen King collaboration set in Silent Hill--fans of dark sci-fi will enjoy. (Science fiction. 12-18)

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

December 6, 2019

Gr 8 Up-A first-contact dystopia with hints of Stephen King's The Mist, Hughes's #OwnVoices novel featuring a hero with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an engaging addition to the genre. After an alien ship is shot to pieces in the exosphere, all reflective surfaces on Earth become alien weapons. Eye contact with a mirror is all that's needed to unleash a deadly fog and terrible monsters that take shape as your greatest fears. Marty deals in mirrors on the black market, a crime punishable by exile into the mysterious fog surrounding the island. When Marty is eventually exiled, he learns the fog is more than just creepy ambiance-the fog is reading the islanders' minds. Marty's OCD raises the stakes of this novel-he struggles with the stress of knowing his every obsessive thought could come to life and kill them. Hughes deftly balances the reluctant hero character arc with Marty's single-minded mission to find his brother in London, one of the last cities standing against the fog. This thrilling dystopia features characters who act as mirrors and foils to Marty's nuanced development. VERDICT Librarians will find this novel a go-to recommendation for fans of Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff's Illuminae and an accessible sci-fi for reluctant readers. Recommended for YA collections, especially those suffering from series fatigue.-Emmy Neal, Lake Forest Library, IL

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2019
Grades 8-12 One year ago, humanity shot an alien ship out of the sky in an event known as the Fracture. Now, with the ship's debris still dotting the sky, Earth is covered in a mysterious fog, and reflective surfaces have become portals for terrifying alien beings to enter our world. Marty Callahan lives on Florida's Cisco Island, one of the last three surviving human settlements, where he bides his time illegally selling mirrors and planning a way to reunite with his brother, who he must believe is still alive. When the mayor's son's plan to turn Marty in goes awry, they are both exiled into the dangerous beyond, from which no one returns alive. Forced into a deeply tenuous alliance, the two find unexpected answers about the Fracture on the mainland, and the survival of the world depends on their ability to make it back to the island and convince everyone of an astonishing truth. This second novel from Hughes (Afterimage, 2018) is a fast-paced, mind-bending sf mystery with poignant #OwnVoices OCD representation.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)